follow-through

1 of 2

noun

fol·​low-through ˈfä-lō-ˌthrü How to pronounce follow-through (audio)
ˌfä-lō-ˈthrü,
-lə-
1
: the part of the stroke following the striking of a ball
2
: the act or an instance of following through

follow through

2 of 2

verb

followed through; following through; follows through

intransitive verb

1
: to continue a stroke or motion to the end of its arc
2
: to press on in an activity or process especially to a conclusion

Examples of follow-through in a Sentence

Verb you said you would put all of the files in order, but you didn't follow through with it
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Short-term momentum has been improving for several days, and the daily stochastics have a bullish ‘pop’ in support of near-term upside follow-through. Katie Stockton, CNBC, 21 July 2025 Many of these issues were flagged a decade ago in the 2014 DHS Protective Mission Panel report, but substantive legislative follow-through has remained elusive. Bydonald J. Mihalek, ABC News, 13 July 2025
Verb
Trump on Wednesday imposed 50% tariffs on the South American heavyweight, following through on his threat to retaliate against Brazil’s prosecution of his ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro, on coup charges; Washington also sanctioned the judge overseeing the case. J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 30 July 2025 Rogan's guest on the episode, former CIA officer Mike Baker, also pushed for the information related to the probe to be released in its entirety and criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi for not following through. Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 29 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for follow-through

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of follow-through was in 1891

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Follow-through.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/follow-through. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

follow through

verb
1
: to complete a stroke or swing
2
: to continue in an activity or process especially to a conclusion
follow through with a study
follow-through
ˈfäl-ō-ˌthrü
ˌfäl-ō-ˈthrü
-ə-
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!